Fallout Ending Explained: Where The Characters Ended Up And The Big Reveal To Set Up Season 2

Walton Goggins in Fallout
(Image credit: Amazon)

While there were some worries that Amazon's decision to drop all of Fallout's episodes at once was a bad sign for the series, it seems that Prime Video subscribers love the post-apocalyptic series. Whether they're long-time fans of the franchise or people who jumped in and appreciated the vibe some likened to The Last Of Us, it's doing well enough for a quick Season 2 renewal. That's a great thing considering the ending of Season 1, which led to a lot of moments we'd love to see picked back up in the next season.

The season finale set the stage for a lot of stories going forward, including Walton Goggins' very complicated Ghoul. Below, we'll revisit all the big moments of the Season 1 finale, as well as why so many are freaking out about that final scene and the city shown in it. Here's hoping it can continue to live up to the legacy of the acclaimed video game franchise and hopefully convince studios to pursue even more video game movies and TV shows going forward.

Needless to say that SPOILERS for Fallout Season 1 are ahead!

Ella Purnell in Fallout.

(Image credit: Amazon Prime)

Lucy And The Ghoul Teamed Up

The Ghoul and Lucy were pitted against each other for a majority of Fallout, both put on each other's paths thanks to the bounty put out on Dr. Wilzig. Toward the end of the journey, we learn that they had a shared link, as the assassin knew her father, Hank McLean, hundreds of years ago before the nuclear disaster because his wife also worked for Vault-Tec.

Lucy was mind-blown by the revelation her father and many other corporate elites not only helped expedite the nuclear destruction on Earth, but also cryogenically froze their bodies for a couple hundred years to be preserved until the world was more habitable and free of competiton. The Ghoul, formerly known as actor Cooper Howard before the nuclear disaster made him a Ghoul, informed Lucy he was going to track down Hank so he could find his family, and she could come if she wanted. Lucy, wanting revenge on her father for his part in the supposed murder of their mother in the destruction of Shady Sands, set off alongside her former enemy.

Maximus in Fallout

(Image credit: Amazon)

Maximus Was Knighted By The Brotherhood Of Steel

Maximus is found by his comrades next to the dead body of Moldaver, who died as a result of injuries she sustained during the battle. It's assumed by the Brotherhood of Steel, however, that Maximus was the person responsible for her death, and he's knighted on the spot in an official capacity. Maximus doesn't acknowledge the promotion at the moment, but I'm sure he'll be grateful down the road.

The biggest thing that this means is that he should have his own new suit of armor in Fallout Season 2. I would wager his friend Dane will continue to serve as his squire, and we'll see more of that friendship unfold in the new season. I expect he's hoping to cross paths with Lucy again and will do whatever it takes to get that happy life they both dreamed of together.

Norm in Fallout

(Image credit: Amazon)

Norm Discovered A Big Secret Hidden In Vault 31

Norm, having been tipped off by one of the captive raiders that something odd was going on in the vaults, used Overseer Betty's terminal to find his way into Vault 31. Once inside, he's met by a brain controlling a small robotic device and eventually finds a giant room loaded with cryogenic sleep pods. As Fallout viewers learn from both his and his sister Lucy's storylines, these are filled with Vault-Tec employees who have secretly been in there since the time around the original nuclear destruction.

Armed with this knowledge, Norm opts to stay in Vault 31 overnight to learn more about this situation and the Vault-Tec employees. After all, if his father was secretly one of the employees quietly living in the Vaults, who else was de-thawed and secretly living amongst them? I know I have some suspicions, but I'll hold off until Season 2 to see who has and hasn't been awakened.

Kyle MacLachlan in Fallout

(Image credit: Amazon)

Hank Was Shown Arriving At A Well Known Location From The Games

Hank McLean, exposed as the real big bad of the Fallout series, stole the power armor and disappeared before he could face any repercussions from people searching for him. Realizing that Lucy might bring The Ghoul back to the Vault, he wandered the Wasteland until he found a location with a lot of history in the games. The final shot of the show showed Hank looking at New Vegas in the distance.

Fallout: New Vegas is one of the most celebrated games in the franchise, and its story is a big factor with that. Suffice it to say it will be interesting to see what parts of the game remain canon should the series return for Season 2 and we get a look at Hank inside of the resurrected city. Personally, I'm hoping that Mr. House is still around, but we will just have to wait and see.

New Vegas in Fallout

(Image credit: Amazon)

Why New Vegas Is Such A Big Deal In Fallout

Beyond being one of the most celebrated games in the franchise, Fallout: New Vegas is so intriguing because of the story of New Vegas itself. To see a city rise to the level it has without support from the Brotherhood of Steel, the NCR or other major factions is kind of unprecedented, and it's all done on the back of the mysterious Mr. New Vegas.

We now have confirmation from Bethesda's Todd Howard that the events of Fallout: New Vegas are canon in the series, but what that means remains to be seen. The game includes several alternate endings in which the status of Mr. New Vegas and others can shift depending on what the player chooses to do. Personally, I would love to see the character still around in Season 2 for the sake of the show, but I trust the series to make the right call.

Fallout Season 2 is confirmed for Prime Video, though much like Fallout 5, we have no idea when to expect it. With that said there are plenty of games in the franchise worth checking out and we have the perfect place for beginners to start if they have questions.

Mick Joest
Content Producer

Mick Joest is a Content Producer for CinemaBlend with his hand in an eclectic mix of television goodness. Star Trek is his main jam, but he also regularly reports on happenings in the world of Star Trek, WWE, Doctor Who, 90 Day Fiancé, Quantum Leap, and Big Brother. He graduated from the University of Southern Indiana with a degree in Journalism and a minor in Radio and Television. He's great at hosting panels and appearing on podcasts if given the chance as well.